1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to vending machines. More specifically, it relates to a vending machine for producing beverages by blending comestibles with a liquid.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
Vending machines have been around for thousands of years. It is believed that the first vending machine was created in 215 B.C. With the advent of modern technology, companies have been increasingly turning to automation to provide snacks and beverages to consumers. Lower labor costs, lower overhead, and improved user experience, have ignited the spark in vending technology. In fact, since the late 19th Century, vending machines have expanded across the world into a multi-billion dollar industry.
A myriad of various vending machines is known in the art. Most vending machines store prepackaged items—such as candy bars, soda cans, bottled water etc.—and dispose those items responsive to a user depositing funds into the vending machine and selecting an item the user wishes to purchase. Some beverage vending machines—such as the ones commonly placed in fast food restaurants—store packages of syrups, and upon a user request, combine a predetermined amount of user-selected syrup with carbonated water and dispose the resulting mixture.
Comestibles and beverages sold through vending machines are generally perceived as unhealthy, and this perception is substantiated by a plethora of factors. First, comestibles in vending machines are generally not refrigerated and, therefore, must contain preservatives to prolong their shelf life. Beverages sold through vending machines are premade and prepackaged, and generally contain artificial ingredients. The vending machine industry generates billions of dollars within the United States, yet offers few healthy choices.
As the public awareness on ill effects of poor diet increases, many consumers become reluctant to purchase food products that contain excessive sweeteners and artificial ingredients. Consequentially, the public attitude toward vending machines selling sodas and other soft drinks has been rapidly deteriorating. Conventional vending machines are becoming rejected by the general public over concerns about health ramifications of drinking soda, especially the effect that these high-sugar, highly acidic, and artificial beverages have on children. In the United States, under pressure from parents and anti-obesity advocates, many school districts moved to ban sodas, junk foods, and candy from vending machines and cafeterias.
Several healthier alternatives to conventional soda and snack vending machines are known in the art. One such machine is described and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,817,935. This vending machine extracts juice from a fruit and then discharges a predetermined amount of juice into a cup, while the remainder is deposited into a waste outlet. This machine does not provide the consumer with the ability to consume the content of the whole fruit, but rather, just the juice. Further, this machine does not allow for easy cleaning after each time the juice is dispensed, or an easy way for the waste to be deposited into the sewer system.
Accordingly, there exists an unresolved need for a vending machine capable of quickly and efficiently producing fresh beverages to order from natural fruits and vegetables.